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The interest in “smart textiles” and the integration of new energetic functions is growing over the past few years. These novel textiles may play a major role in energy storage and/or processing or in the field of information and communication. Textiles have several advantages: flexibility, light weight and a broad application area including signalisation (flags and banners) and architectural design (decoration, curtains…).

The sector of photonic textiles in buildings and mobility contain real possibilities. Both areas are important within the H2020 projects of the European Commission in view of future and innovating textile applications. The integration of such novel textiles in buildings also complies with the European directives regarding the reduction of energy consumption with 20% in buildings by 2020 (Directive 2012/27/EU and the European Parliament and Council of 25 Otober 2012) and the construction of zero-energy buildings from 2021 onwards.

LUMINOPTEX addresses the design and implementation of novel smart textiles for “autonomous diffuse lighting” with applications in interior design, decoration textiles or signalisation. To achieve this goal, we are planning to directly integrate organic electroluminescent diodes (OLED) in textiles. By doing so, the unique textile properties (flexibility, light weight, comfort, low price) will be combined with the advantage of OLED’s (light effectiveness, low energy consumption, light weight, flexibility, flat and diffuse lighting of large surfaces and look). The OLED elements can be steered independently and acquire the necessary energy from wireless networks (WIFI) available in the buildings. They will store this energy in electrochemical batteries or super capacitors.

LUMINOPTEX is based on the inseparable competences of 6 regional partners and proposes innovating techniques to create a textile combining 3 functions: